that must have been one big stork

Though I still haven't settled on a name for the new baby, she came home with us last night, as we also said a sad goodbye to her six-year-old brother who went up for adoption in her place. And she's gorgeous, everyone says--it's not just a father's blind pride. She was still so new to the world when they brought her out to us last night, a week premature and with a scant two miles on her odometer, a healthy 175-inch, 2,890-pound Prius, redolent with that unmistakable new car smell.

It was dark by the time we completed the paperwork at the dealership last night, so I wasn't able to take any photos at the time, but I'm planning to shoot some today or over the weekend. I'm really looking forward to having some nice weather to get out and just drive, and explore the ins and outs of this car.

There's a learning curve to a Prius, especially fully loaded with the Smart Start and Entry (unlock and power on the car without pulling the key out of your pocket or purse) system; the joystick-like gear shift; the voice-activated audio, climate, information and navigation controls; the DVD voice navigation system; the eerie silence when the engine cuts off completely at stop signs and traffic lights; the continuously updating MPG display as you make subtle adjustments to your driving patterns; etc. I really have to make a conscious effort to keep my eyes on the road instead of on the wealth of information available on the screen.

I'm very excited, almost giddy--Jeff was pretty patient with my incessant chatter about the car, my staying up until 1am reading the owner's manuals while he went on to bed an hour earlier, but I kept feeling that he was thinking "enough already." <grin /> He had that look of almost pained forebearance--or maybe that was just his stomachache from our late dinner of Tex-Mex.